The Rutles

The Rutles are a pop rock group from Rutland, United Kingdom, active from 1975 to 2002. They begin as a parody of The Beatles, created by Neil Innes, formerly of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and Eric Idle, who also comes from Monty Python. The group appears under the names Dirk McQuickly, Ron Nasty, Stig O’Hara and Barry Wom, with the four official members corresponding to Eric Idle, Neil Innes, Ricky Fataar and John Halsey. The broader line-up also includes Ollie Halsall, Andy Brown and John Haber.

Formation and concept

The Rutles originate as a sketch from Rutland Weekend Television in the mid-1970s. The idea develops into a television film, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, first shown in 1978, which presents a mock history of the group and satirises many parts of The Beatles’ career. It includes references to the Yellow Submarine film and the “Paul is Dead” rumours. The film is later regarded as an early example of the mockumentary form and as a precursor to later parodies such as This Is Spinal Tap.

Members and roles

The four core Rutles are Dirk McQuickly, Ron Nasty, Stig O’Hara and Barry Wom, parodying Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr respectively. Eric Idle portrays Dirk in the original sketch, though he does not contribute to the group’s actual musical recordings. The “Paul” vocals are performed by Ollie Halsall, who also appears briefly in the film as Leppo, described as the “fifth Rutle”. John Halsey is the voice and performer behind Barry Wom, while Ricky Fataar plays Stig O’Hara. In the later release Archaeology, the line-up includes Neil Innes, Ricky Fataar, John Halsey and John Haber as the replacement for the late Ollie Halsall.

Music and recordings

Neil Innes writes the group’s songs, often using the pseudonym Nasty/McQuickly, and also uses the names Stig O’Hara and Barry Wom for some material. The songs closely draw on Beatles-style riffs, chord changes and lyrical phrasing. The first studio album, The Rutles, is issued as the soundtrack to All You Need Is Cash in 1978. After copyright action from Apple Corps, six songs are removed from the first LP release, and the Rutles song catalogue becomes property of Apple Corps. In 1996, the group releases Archaeology, a parody of The Beatles’ Anthology series made up of supposed lost material and previously unreleased songs.

Film and television

The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash begins as a sketch and later becomes a television film produced by Lorne Michaels after he enjoys the original Saturday Night Live broadcast of the idea. George Harrison appears in the film as a reporter interviewing the Rutles’ press manager, played by Michael Palin. The 2002 sequel, The Rutles 2: Can’t Buy Me Lunch, airs on selected television channels and mainly uses unaired footage from the first film together with interviews with celebrities about the group, with little involvement from Innes, Fataar or Halsey.